About the Forest

The National Forests in Florida manages three national forests, the Apalachicola, Osceola and Ocala that span almost 1.2 million acres throughout the state with a $22.5 million dollar annual budget and less than 200 employees statewide.

Of that 1.2 million acres, approximately a half a million are wetlands and over 85,000 acres are designated Federal wilderness areas with no roads and no access permitted except on foot.

Our forests contain more than 3,700 documented archaeological sites and nearly 55 historic sites. We monitor 136 plant species and 36 animal species that are either threatened or endangered.

We oversee more than 1,400 miles of recreational trails and 118 developed recreation sites that see more than 1.1 million visitors every year.